Children of the Calamity: Crisis
by Kaja-tan
Summary: A girl, Lilja Koski, tries to steals a piece of materia from Shin-Ra and is unwillingly volunteered as Hojo's new specimen. She wakes up 16 years later and joins SOLDIER with the new name of Kaja Hayes and no memories of before. SephirothxOC. Rated M for blood, gore, language and a little bit of fluff. Self insert.
1. Chapter1: From the Journal of Hojo

Chapter 1: From the Journal of Professor Hojo

January 04, 1977

In short these days are quite tiresome and un-useful. There are no new specimens for me to work on except the new SOLDIER trainees that need the SOLDIER treatment. Yes it is always interesting to see how each individual reacts but I see that most have the same reaction. Things have never been this dull. My assistants and I are getting closer on the studies of the ancient names "Jenova" but those are still somewhat far away. I hope that I can get some specimens soon, perhaps from the prison block. They would never be missed from there…

January 05, 1977

What luck I had today! I had a new specimen come in for me. I acquired this one by over hearing a strange story first. The executives that had a meeting the previous night in a small town north of Midgar had come back with a tale depicting a young girl stealing a piece of Big Materia. She supposedly had picked it right out from the man's pocket and ran all over the town evading the army and the SOLDIER operatives. Normally common thieves do not perk my interest but one that can outrun Mako enhanced humans must be a sight to see.

I hurried to see Veld, the leader of the Turks and requested that she be given to me since she was going to be killed anyways. He gave me the specimen and shooed me away not a moment sooner. Seeing my specimen now, I do not understand how she got away. She is small and most definitely not muscular. Perhaps I got the wrong girl? None the less, I think I have the perfect experiment for her…

January 06, 1977

She is quite sullen in her tank, my new specimen. She just floats in her Mako bath with her eyes closed, as if sleeping. But I know every time she opens her eyes that she glares at the person staring at her. She has a piercing gaze with her yellow-green eyes. I ignore her though; she is not worth the effort of chiding. Tomorrow I will start the real test though. An injection of Mako energy and the cells from the ancient.

January 07, 1977

I thought this procedure of mine would go over fine, but it did not. The girl who I made sure was heavily sedated, restrained and under a constant drip of anesthesia woke up during the process of injection. She had shown discomfort even through her sleep with the Mako yet when the ancient's cells where put in she woke right up. She screamed at me, asking me what I was thinking and what I was doing. I did not answer, it was strange to see her awake even heavily drugged. She was held fast by the restraints so she could thankfully not reach me even when she tried. As soon as she had woken up she fell back and her vitals drops significantly.

My assistant, always fast thinking got other materials out to stabilize the specimen. The assistant proceeded to stabilize her by stop her aging and growing. My assistant said though for the experiment to be a success that the specimen would have to stay in a coma for 16 years. The cells would then attach themselves and grow so they melded with the body. My only complaint was to have to look after it for so long. Though it will be interesting to see how the final product turns out. Maybe she could be made into a SOLDIER later? Things to ponder another day.

Deciding this was the first real experiment with the ancient's cells; I have names her "experiment 0" and have already tattooed a zero on her hand. I will have to look into other ways to see if the process of melding the cells can be faster.

February 07, 1977

I found out that a fellow scientist of mine has actually had a project with the ancient's cells. Hollander had infused the cells with a human fetus. Perhaps that would be a good direction to take. I will talk with my assistant and see if she would like to help with this project.

January 28, 1993

Experiment Zero has finally awakened from her slumber. She is disoriented but okay. She does not remember anything from the past, which works to my advantage even more. I will start out with some tests and then send her to the SOLDIER department to have her properly trained. I close this experiment with that it was successful. I am glad that I waited; this will be interesting to see how well she does, in comparison to Him.


	2. Chapter 2: Running for your Life

Chapter 2: Running for Your Life

It was cold that night, I remember it well now. But it was January so it was to be expected. In fact, the date was January 4th, 1977. It was that fateful night where I made a mistake that could never be un-done and my life would change.

It wasn't until I heard a whistle and loud yells that I found myself running. The few people in my way rushed to step out of my way while other just looked out from their small houses. They didn't know why I was running, but I knew. The leather pouch in my pocket bounced with me, a heavy thought included with its weight. I might have been okay but my nerves hadn't gotten in the way and made me run. The infantry men behind me saw my running form and figured out that I was the culprit right away.

I pick up the pace a little finding them too close for my comfort and start to lose them down the street. Another small group of soldiers try to stop me but I take my knife and make a few quick slashes ending their lives. My breathing shifted again making me notice that a half a mile had already gone by. I wouldn't need a break for a few more miles but it was going to be dangerous if I was still trying to evade the army when I ran out of stamina.

Another blockade in front of me forms. This time they had their guns out and where prepared to shoot. I wrinkle up my nose and take a turn into a small alleyway. Looking behind I find no followers, but due to that I do not see the trash can in front of me in time. All I could do was crash into it and trip, skidding on my hands and knees and finally come to a halt with my face to the ground.

I swear quietly and try to stand up. My legs wobble a little and I realized just how much breath I had lost. My breathing is harsh and uneven. I had overestimated again in my calculations and did not take in the speed I was running. The pace I had set was not good for long distances. I wipe my bloodied hands on my bloody knees and stand finally taking in my surroundings.

To my luck I had a ring of infantry men surrounding me; even the alleyway I had come through was now blocked. I steps forward and twists my hands behind my back cuffing them tightly. He kicks my knees out and searches my pockets deftly. He finds his prize and laughs at me.

"All this just for a piece of materia a man's wallet. There has to be more, otherwise you wouldn't be so desperate to get away." He was pulling up on my arms and it was painful. I bite my lip refusing to cry out no matter what. He throws me back on the ground and I find my face on the stone again.

"Sir," the man who had cuffed me turned to someone. "Here is the object in question. What are the new orders? Will we be leaving her or taking her back to headquarters?"

Another man steps forward but all I can see if his boots. "She did steal from us, and she did kill a few of our men. I think that we will be bringing her with us. We cannot have her terrorizing the people here. Common, let's get her into the truck."

Someone pulls me up by one of my arms and sets me on my feet. I steady myself gently and then smile at them. "You just made one crucial mistake." My leg flies at the nearest soldiers and strikes the middle of his chest. Once that foot is set back down I am in motion and swinging the other around into a round house that connects with a man's head. He drops like the first and I move on. They finally catch on and try to come at me. I turn slightly and help one of my knee and another over my shoulder. Taking my chance I run head first towards their commander. All he does is step out of the way effortlessly and place a hard kick to my side. I cry out and roll onto the ground. Trying to stand up I am pushed back to the ground again. In my next attempt the commander just sets his foot firmly on my chest. I squirm but he does not budge. He gives me an odd look and swiftly kicks my head, knocking me unconscious.

I am unsure how long I actually was unconscious, but the next time I awoke I was in a van. I was tied up, hands and feet this time and I had a splitting headache. I guess they were not taking any more chances. There were a few infantry men sitting around me talking quietly to themselves. Some of them had their helmets off so I could study their faces. There were a few older men but the majority of them were young men. Probably trying to seek their fortune as a hero.

Seeing I could do nothing I decided to rest my eyes and head. I let myself drift into a light sleep so I could still be aware of my surroundings but not at the same time. I was jostled awake again then a man grabbed me gruffly and hoisted me over his shoulder. There was no talk between any one now. They bring me through the complex dreary building and take an industrial elevator up. Once on a higher floor they bring me to a strong looking door and shove me into the dark room.

For the third time that day I have my face pushed into the ground. I had managed not to get my nose crushed by the previous two but this time I found it quite broken. Cursing through gasps I roll onto my side. A small puddle forms beneath me head but I ignore it. My poor head was aching too much.

Some time later the door opens again and light spills in behind a shadow. The door closes again and I am hoisted into a chair. By that time my nose had stopped bleeding but I can still feel the blood on my face.

"So," I hear a voice close to my ear. "You are the terrorist? You are going to answer some of my questions." I nod drowsily and listen closely. "Good girl, now. What is your name and who do you work for?"

I shake my head. "My name is Lilja Koski and I don't work for anyone." I feel my hair being tugged at the back of my scalp but I can barley feel it with the other pain. "Honestly! I don't work for any person or company!" I start to get desperate. I feel like they will torture me if necessary to get the info they want to hear.

The man hmphs and steps around me. "Really now. Then why did you steal the material?"

"Because, I have read up on it. I know the dangers of it and I know that trying to use that materia would be disastrous."

"How did you hear about this materia? This has been kept under very tight wraps. Not many people know about it. It is curious how you know about it."

I sigh. "Because your executives are loud and blab. A person who can hear fairly well can know what is going on as long as they pay attention."

He says nothing but I can feel his eyes on me. I hear a little beeping and the man starts to speak. "Yes?" It must be a personal hand device. I can hear a faint voice on the other side but I cannot make it out. "Understood, I got what I needed already. I will deliver her right now." I flips his phone shut and puts it away.

"Where are we going?" I ask out of curiosity.

He simply looks at me with pity. "To the science department. Your sentence was death anyways." I stay silent as he drags me from the chair. He unlocks my feet so I can walk by myself. "Keep up." He scolds me as I stumble behind him.

I think about attacking him but something stops me. Perhaps it is the way he carries himself that warns me that he knew how to fight. We take another elevator, this time to the 67th floor. He grips my shoulder tightly and guides me through another maze of hallways. I find us standing in front of another large heavy looking door that opens itself for us.

The room is filled with many beakers, dishes, little tubes and complicated looking equipment. People in white coats run around looking at computers and comparing notes, looking at things under microscopes and mixing up different concoctions. If I wasn't so frightened it would have been cool to watch. But knowing that this would be the place of my doom did not make it enjoyable.

A man with greasy hair spots us and walks up. He has a sickening grin on and thick glasses. "Is this my new specimen?" He asks the dark haired man next to me.

"Yes. Take her now; I have other business to attend to." He pushes me forward to the man and leaves quickly. Once the door is shut I feel the doom weigh even more on me. The disgusting man in front of me summons a couple of his assistants who put me in a small cell. They take the cuffs with them but leave me alone in the cold room.

I sit down on the hard metal bed and contemplate what to do. There was really nothing I could do. Fighting them would just lead to soldiers coming that would kill me anyways. It seems like this is a lose-lose situation. I sigh heavily and ease my throbbing head onto the stiff pillow.

Death? is that how this is going to end? Because I made one mistake? Man, my older brother is going to kill me. I did not even tell him where I was going. And what will my parents do? Will they come here and bail me out? What will Shin-Ra do to them? Will they be thought to be "terrorists" also? I am obviously over thinking the situation. But there is nothing else to do, except sleep.

I take a deep breath and sigh heavily. Might as well get some sleep, I think as I close my eyes. The pounding in my head was getting worse. I pull the scratchy blanket around me and drop off into a deep sleep fill with black nothingness.

Some time later I am woken up by a lab assistant and brought out to a small white room. The strip me of all my clothing and spray me down with a harsh stream of water. I am immediately brought into another room leaving my clothing behind where I am shoved into a large glass tube. They hook me up to a few monitors and close the door on me. I start to feel claustrophobic and try to cover myself up but it doesn't work. I see the faces of some of the assistants just laughing at me.

I hear a small hissing sound but don't see anything. It just confirms my worst fears; they are putting me to sleep. I start to feel drowsy and sway. I feel my body collapse and press against the glass. Being aware of nothing and everything at the same time is such a weird feeling.

Some sort of liquid fills the tanks and my body starts to float upright. I try to hold my breath with my last strands of consciousness but I find myself gasping and breathing in mouthfuls of air that burns my lungs and makes my body writhe in pain. All of the pain makes me slip away into sleep but I still can feel the pain. Just what are they doing to me?


	3. Chapter 3: Sleep

Chapter 3: Sleep

After a day of sitting in the green liquid stuff I don't remember much. All that I can feel is the searing pain like a huge burn. I just wanted to take back everything and go back home. The faces of my family were already becoming blurry. I'm sorry; I tell the mental image of my brother and parents. I am so sorry! Wait for me to get home, okay? Please, just wait.

The people in the lab visited me in my cell that day. They were asking me something, but I could not exactly hear them. I remember their faces were blurred and the words I tried to form came out as hoarse whispers. I caught one word, and that was "name". Where they asking my name? I tried to say it. The forming of the word took a lot more effort than normal but I think I got it out. I am sure I said "Lilja" at least once.

There is a small prick at my neck but I can barely feel it anymore. All I feel is the sensation like you are falling. I try to flail but my arms and legs do not move. The darkness gets heavier each second and soon I am on a cold floor of what seems like a cave. There are no lamps in there but there is some sort of eerie glow so I can see.

"Hello?" I called out trying to see if anyone else was there. Nothing but the echo of my own voice answers me. "Please, is anyone there?" Again just the echo. I walk down the only way I can go through the cave, perhaps there will be an exit?

I walked for what seemed for hours. Maybe that was just because my body hurt but each step took extreme effort. Another wave of pains breaks my concentration and make me land flat on my back again. When I open my eyes again though it is a different scene. The Scientist with the greasy hair looks over me and has a needle in my arm pushing a strange substance in me. Immediately I start to yell.

"What are you doing?! Stop this right now!" I try to fight the restraints that are on me but they are quite effective at doing their job. "Please, no! No, no, no, no, NO!" He doesn't react very much except to glare at me. I squeeze my eyes shut trying to wake up from the horrifying dream. When my eyes open again I see the cave again but I was not alone.

"You are not going to wake up that easily." The cloaked figure above me gazes down with no face. Confused I get up and face him.

"Asleep?" He nods. "So then this is a dream?" He nods again. "And what I just saw, was that reality?"

"Yes." I break down in front of him falling back to my knees. "So they are doing experiments on me?!" I sob at him.

"I am afraid so."

"How can you be calm about this situation?! While we sit here my real body is becoming a pin cushion!" I grasp the end of the coat like a child.

"You are a rather peculiar child." I look up confused. "You think that just because you have problems that they immediately become another's problem too. You sealed your fate the day you heard those executives talking about that materia you stole."

My lip trembles but I let go and let my hands fall into my lap. "Then what should I do? Just stay asleep?"

"That would be wise. What they did to you will take time for your body to adjust. If you sleep now when you wake up you will be stronger."

I calm myself more with deep breathes. "Alright. So sleep now and then take my revenge later?"

"More or less," He nods to me. "Now come with me. While you sleep in your body, we will train in your mind. This will ultimately help you bring out your true potential."

I scowl a little but force myself back onto my feet. "What must I do?"

* * *

><p>When the cloaked man had said training, he was not kidding. Even though this was supposed to be a "dream" the pain I felt and the loss of breath felt real enough. Each "day" started off with pushups, sit-ups, and all sorts of twists and jumps. He said even if the training was not physically real it would get me into the habit of doing it when I wake up. I apparently needed it for what was to come.<p>

We would then move onto different weapon styles and then to endurance. Surprisingly the cloaked man was very apt at using all sorts of weapons. When I asked him how he knew all of these styles he just shook his head saying it was unimportant. He trained me twice as hard that day.

Another day I did ask him what his name was. "That is unimportant." A typical response from him. Either something was important or nothing mattered at all. Talk about extremes! "But shouldn't you ask yourself that?" He left me alone to let me ponder it.

Not until I was going to "sleep" I realized what he meant. The name I had grown up with had disappeared from my knowledge. I could feel like I knew it but every time I tried to think of what it was I could not recall it. I also realized that the faces of my previous family and their names had disappeared too. I did not "sleep" well after that.

The days turned into months, and then months turned into what felt like years. "Time flows differently in this world," he told me one day. "One day here could be a 2 days in reality. It is never fixed or constant. When you wake up things may be completely different that you remember; if you remember at all."

He always left me with puzzling phrases to ponder. When I tried to think of the world outside most of the knowledge eluded me. I remembered about Mako, and energy that made the planet live. And I remember that the planet itself was called Gaia. But the time just slipped away. The fine details became hazy and every time I tried to think of my past life nothing popped up. I found that the only things I was recalling was the training I was doing. And even the details of how I arrived at this place were nonexistent. I knew that I was sleeping, but I did not understand where my real body was or why I was sleeping like this.

A day came though when the cloaked man came up to me and said we would not be training. "Your time is coming to an end here. It will be time for you to wake up soon. Thus your final task begins now. Defeat me in combat."

I stared up at him. He was a great fighter compared to me, how was I supposed to defeat him? "And no objections," he tells me firmly. He hands me a thin saber like sword and give me a little space to warm up. I give a few passes on it and stretch out my legs a little. "Are you prepared?" He asks me. I wipe my already sweating hand onto my pants and re grip my sword.

"I am ready." I try to keep down the rising fear in me.

"Begin." And then he is on me with in a moment, his broad sword pushing down on to my thin blade. Breaking away I circle him looking for an opening in his impeccable guard. Without warning he steps in and swipes the large sword around impossibly fast. I guard as fast I can and try to make it around his blade though he is quick to block those too. My muscles scream at me when he forces down on my sword again.

My hands were getting sweaty again, if I was not careful then I could lose a hold of the blade and then I would be defeated. I see a small opening and take it determined to win. But because of that blind determination I was un able to see him kicking me in the side until it was too late. My hand immediately drops the blade as I fly across the cave and into a wall. I breathe out a curse and try to get up. My legs wobble and I fall against the wall again. I find the sword just in my reach and grab it but my arms will not lift it.

"It seems," the cloaked figures moves till he is about a foot away from me, "that the training I have put you through has not done you any good. My only option is to end your life right now. If you cannot defeat me, then how do you plan to face the future?" He raises his blade and hesitates for a moment. "Any last words?"

I lower my head and close my eyes for a moment. "I'm sorry," I say very quietly.

"Is that all? No matter, I have nothing against you personally. This is just how the materia works."

My head shoots up and I look into his shadow of a face. This was all a materia induced dream. Feeling some sort of new found strength my hand grasps the sword tightly and buries the tip through the chest of the mysterious man. His sword drops and he gasps a little.

He gives a small laugh that sounds wet. "It seems that you have succeeded."

"I don't know who you are, or why I am asleep but I will tell you this. There are still things that I must do back in the real world. And until I do I will not die." I twist the sword and jar it out of him trying to make the most pain possible.

As soon as he collapses I feel my eyes grow heavy. It was a fight to keep them open so I just let myself fall back to what should be the ground. The ground shatters below me letting me fall into a pit of darkness. Was that light, coming towards me?


	4. Chapter 4: Awake

**I do not own Final Fantasy VII or it's characters. All I own is Kaja, Nina, and the weird town names I make up. :P**

* * *

><p>Chapter 4: Awake<p>

My eyes open slowly. Everything is bathed in a white glow as if I had been asleep for a long time. It takes a few minutes for my eyes to adjust but when they do my surroundings are quite clear. It looks like a hospital with everything white or gray. I see a wilting plant next to me, did I have visitors? What happened to me?

I decide that I have had enough rest and prop myself up. It is a small little room that contains only one other bed though that one does not have a occupant. I touch my bare feet to the floor and test my weight. Immediately I crumple and fall on my hands and knees, my legs were not working properly. How long was I asleep?

Crawling on my hands and knees I make it to the sink in the room, pull myself up and look in the mirror. A pale girl looks pack with pale freckles dotting her face. Her eyes olive green in tone look like they have a soft yellowish glow to them. Copper locks frame her face coming to her shoulder in a soft wave. It takes me a few minutes to realize that it is me in the mirror. Not much had changed from my previous image I think, it felt like it had been so long since I had seen my reflection that I was unsure to what I looked like.

Then what was that place? A dream? It had to have been. The details of the place were already starting to blur as it was unnecessary information to the brain. But what really happened? Who am I? What am I doing? All questions I needed answered. I felt empty, like something was missing. But at the same time it felt as if there was something there that was not there before. Almost as if something else was inside of me.

Feeling the strength slowly returning to my legs I stumble out into the hallway to look for someone. I needed to know what was going on. No one was in the hallway either so I ventured forth. Every hallway I turned down was empty like no one was there. The next hallway I found was a dead end except for a large metal door. I walked up to it and it opened automatically for me. The sight was completely different from the other places.

This place was jammed pack with people running around. They were all at different stations with all sorts of scientific looking equipment. One of the men with blond hair in a lab coat stopped and looked me over.

"What do you want? Don't you know we are busy?" he crossed his arms.

"I'm sorry, I just don't know where I am. I just woke up in some sort of hospital room. Please, I don't even know my name!" I pleaded with him. He grabbed my left hand and scrutinized it. I was unsure to what he was doing until I noticed a tattoo of the number zero on it.

He looks at it for a moment longer and then tells me to follow him. I follow him into an elevator to the back of the room and watch him press the button that says up. It is a short ride, only one floor. We are brought to another lab, but this one has even fancier equipment and only a few people are around. The man pulls me along and brings me to one person who is working diligently at a computer. His hair is greasy as if he cares more for his work than himself.

"Professor," the man next to me addresses the one at the computer.

"Yes, what is it that you want?" His voice is nasally and a constant wheeze comes out of his lungs. He doesn't turn around though.

"I have brought the girl as you asked." The man pushes me forward to face the professor alone.

The man in front of me sighs irritated but his eyes never leave the screen. "I asked for no girl to be brought to me. Take her away and stop wasting my time. I have enough work to do without all of your constant interruptions."

I fiddle with my fingers nervously, this is a person I don't think I would like.

"But sir," the man behind me was getting nervous too. "She has the mark on her hand."

He sighs again, a watery wheeze and turns around. His mouth is upturn in a sneer and his eyes are a calculating muddy brown through thick round glasses. His face is slightly aged with a firm chin and a forward brow. Something seemed familiar about him but I was unsure. Perhaps I knew him before? Though something about him made me dislike him.

With out warning and with an unexpected strength from the skinny man my hand was grabbed gruffly. He squeezed it tightly and turned it over looking at the back. He let out a quiet hmph and stood up. He didn't let go but instead dragged me over to a table.

"Hurry up and lay down, I don't have all day girl." I obliged grudgingly and stretched myself out on the cold metal table. He takes my blood pressure, looks at my eyes, squeezes and prods my muscles with bony fingers. Lastly he ties a elastic cord around my arm extremely tight and takes my blood. He leaves me lying on the table to go to another part of the lab; most likely to look at the blood.

I hear the screech of the elevator and I look over. A boy no older than me walks out. He wears a navy blue turtle neck, baggy navy blue pants and shoulder guards connected to leather over-all looking straps. He strode forward with soft steps. He stopped when he was next to me and I noticed the most stunning thing about him.

His pale skin was framed by even paler hair. It looked like pure mercury tied into a high ponytail reaching down just past his shoulders. He looks over with luminescent green blue eyes with little emotion. But just past it I can see him questioning why I am here.

The professor comes back a few minutes after the boy's arrival and sneers at him. "You are late, boy. Take your shirt off and get on the table, do not waste my time." He rustles around in some papers and then shoves them in my face. "Here, go to the SOLDIER Directors office and give this to him. Ask one of my assistants to give you clothing. Now leave so I can do my work."

I feel the boy's eyes on me but I do not return his gaze. No matter how beautiful they are there is a chilly aspect glossing over them. I take the squeaky elevator back down to the first floor of the lab and find the assistant that had brought me up first. I relay the professor's message and he grunts and shoves a pile of clothing in my face. Seeing nowhere to change I return back to the hallway, I was sure I had passed a bathroom on my way there.

Sure enough I found a bathroom and quickly changed into the sweats I was given. Unsure what to do with my hospital garb I return to the area I first woke up in and place them on my previous bed. Now to find the director of SOLDIER.

I wander senselessly through the building again. I was pretty sure I was lost though I found an elevator none the less. Though it did not help my predicament since I had no idea which floor this director person had his office one. Frustrated I scroll through the list on the touch sensitive pad and push the icon for the ground floor hoping there would be a lobby and a place to ask for directions. I watch the number go down from 67 to 1. The long ride is ended with a ding and opens up to a lavish lobby.

Business people mill about around a large desk. I descend down the large staircase and make my way around the people to the desk itself. "Excuse me, but could you tell me which floor the director of SOLDIER is on? I was told to report there but I am not sure where to go." The woman behind the desk gives me a skeptical look and thrusts out her hand.

"Can I see paperwork to verify this information?"

"Oh, yes miss, let's see here…" I look at the papers for the first time. I see one of them is addressed specifically to the director so I do not show her that one. I pick one out that looks like an official document that says I have a meeting with Lazard Deusericus, Director of SOLDIER. I hand it over and she scrutinizes it.

"Very well," she hands the paper back. "Her is a card that will let you on to that floor, number 51. It will only work once so make sure you get off at the correct stop." She hands over a flimsy paper card and gives me a big smile. "Have a nice day!"

I thank her quietly and return to the elevator. I see a place where you insert a card so I slide it in and out quickly. On the screen it displays the accessible floors. I choose floor 51 and feel the elevator lurch a little bit. Before I get to my desired floor the elevator stops and admits another person on there.

A dark skinned lady with shortly cropped hair steps in with a similar uniform as the boy I saw before, even the same color. She passes by me and I see her toned muscles as she reaches for the touch screen. She sees my destination and looks over at me.

"You going to Lazard's office?" I nod at her. "Well, at least I know I will not be the only woman in SOLDIER anymore." She lets the door slide shut and extends an arm to me. I look at it a little confused for a moment trying to think when I signed up for the army but I extend my arm out to her all the same. "It is nice to meet you. My name is Nina, I am SOLDIER 2nd Class."

"It's a pleasure," I embrace her firm grip with my hand. "I would tell you mine, but I do not remember mine." I look away.

"Did you just come from the lab?" I nod again. "Ah, you see sometimes the treatment you get for SOLDIER does that to you. But don't worry, you will remember shortly. Unless Hojo told you?" SOLDIER treatment eh, I muse to myself.

I look up at her confused. "Who is Hojo?"

She laughs at me. "Oh typical Hojo. Not only did he not tell you your name, but he didn't tell you his own!" She calms down and wipes her eyes. "Hojo is one of the head professors at the lab. He always has that sneer on his face, long black hair, kind of has a hunch back? Ringing any bells for ya?"

"Oh, I know now. He took a blood sample from me today. He didn't seem very nice."

She gives me a wry look and points to the papers in my hand. "Are those from Hojo? Look through them. Mayhap he wrote down who you are."

I do as I am told and look through the papers. At some time the elevator chimes and Nina brings me out into the hallway to finish looking at the papers. I find one tucked away that looks like my health card and other information.

"It says here my name is Kaja Hayes, I am 16 year old and was born in Northcrest. Northcrest? Where is that?"

"Well Kaja, I have only heard of it a few times. But As the names states, it is up north surrounded by a beautiful pine forest. I think there is a small reactor there too but I don't hear much of it. What else does it say?"

"Well, it says my family is deceased, and then some medical information. At least I know who I am."

She smiles at me. "Well Kaja, shall we meet with the director?" I nod and she guides me to a large room with another large desk and a huge screen in back of it. "Remember to salute." She murmurs in my ear as we walk forward.

I follow her lead and make a sloppy salute to the blond man. He waves his hand and smiles. "And who do we have here today?"

"Sir, I am reporting here from… Professor Hojo; he told me to deliver these papers to you." I hand the packet to him and he flips through them reading each of them carefully.

"So, you are enrolling in SOLDIER?"

"I guess so sir. I don't remember anything from when I woke up in the hospital today. I am not sure of how long I actually slept either."

"It is written that you where asleep for three days. But that is only natural after the SOLDIER treatment. So here is your paperwork to sign. If you just put your name, signature and date here we can officially accept you as SOLDIER 3rd Class, Rank 1." I nod and sign my unfamiliar name. "You will report for training at 0800 hours to floor 49 every morning except for Sunday. You will spend the first half of the morning in classes working on theories and book knowledge and the second half will be actual combat training. There will be a monthly assessment on how your progress is doing and a test will be administered both on paper and in the field. As a SOLDIER 3rd class you will not be permitted to leave Midgar unless on a mission that deems so. You may wander around the city freely itself but stay in it. While wandering around I suggest you leave your weapons here or at your apartment so not to alarm the citizens.

"You will be assigned an apartment in the complex just down the street, there are many other SOLDIERs that live there too. A standard uniform will be issued to you for you to wear. On your off time you can wear your normal clothing. But during your training the uniform will be on. You will also be issued a company phone so that you may keep in touch with your colleges and with your boss, me. I know it is a lot of information to take in all at once but after a few days you will get the hang of things." He signs off on a paper and hands it too me. "Take this over to the office of Public Safety on floor 23. They will give you your company ID card and apartment key. I will phone over and get someone to drop off your uniform to your apartment. Your company card will also work as your credit card. Your earnings will be transferred directly into an account and can be used with the card. For joining we give you an added bonus of 500 gil just to start.

"Nina, why don't you go with Miss Hayes here and help her find her way around. I wish you the best of luck and have a good day." He gave us a genuine smile. He sure had a lot to say but that must have been the normal speech that is given to new recruits.

"Thank you, Sir." I give him another salute and follow Nina back out.

"All right," she drawls in her country accent. "Let's get going."

Nina sure had a lot to say. From life in Midgar to life as a SOLDIER. She said that other SOLDIERs think that the women sleep their way up in ranks but it is obviously not true. Though none have made it to 1st class yet.

At the Public Safety office they took my picture and printed off a small white card that had the company logo and my picture on it. They said that the money from me joining SOLDIER was already on there so I could use it immediately if so desired. They handed me my apartment key and let me be on my way.

Nina led me out of the building through the lavish lobby and down the street. The sky was dark and gloomy even though it was early evening. Cold winds whipped around me and through my thin clothing. Nina said it was always dark because of the smog that blanketed the city. She was not joking about the blanket part, every breath I took felt thick and dirty.

The building she led me too looked like it had about 30 floors in it. She said that I would be staying on the 18th floor and actually would be staying down the hall from her. The room I found was quite small. Just big enough to fit a bed, a bureau, a desk and the TV. There was a small closet and a tiny bathroom.

"Here is your uniform, oh and your account information and your training schedule." She motions over to the bed. "Would you like me to help you unpack your things?"

I stop and look up at her. "I don't have anything except what I am wearing."

She scowls and crosses her arms. "What do you mean you have nothing? Didn't you bring anything from home?"

"If I did then I don't remember." My shoulders slump. "It feels like there is this wall in my head and every time I try to pass it, the wall extends and I can't get past."

I hear her sigh and a her strong hand is placed on my shoulder. "No worries. Why don't I take you shopping for some clothing and some other necessities? Plus I could show you the city some more."

I nod to her suggestion still feeling sad. I put my new phone and ID card into my pants pockets and followed her back out. The air was cold and bitter as we hurried to a store. She had led me into a clothing store. We started out with getting a coat and boots. She then suggested a pair of running shoes and street shoes. After that she helped me pick out several tops and some jeans. She also said that I should get some spandex shorts and some tank tops for under the uniform. We then got some under garments with Nina telling me that comfort is key.

By the time we had left the store I had several bags of clothing and more than half of my gil depleted. "Don't worry about spending all of the money in this one time. You will not need a lot of clothing for a while now so you can save it for food and such."

We stopped by at a drug store and we picked up some soap, a towel and a pack of hair ties. "If you are going to keep your hair long," Nina lectures me. "Then you will need something to put it up with for training."

Nina helped we lug all of my new things back to my apartment and said that she had gotten a message to report back to Lazard. "If you need anything else, you know how to find me. Good luck, SOLDIER." She smiles and leaves me alone.

I slowly go through each garment and remove tags putting them in draws as I go. I don't feel the need to change so I leave my current clothing on that I was given by the science department.

My stomach growls angrily and for the first time today I feel hungry. I look at the sheet of paper that tells me what is on which floor and find the cafeteria on the 6th floor for the Shin-Ra building. I don my new coat and boots and make my way down the slushy streets.

I gladly welcomed the warmth of the Shin-Ra building noting that the lobby was emptier than before. People must have gone home for the day. I find the elevator and ride it to the 6th floor find the cafeteria fairly busy.

I present my ID card and I am told I am on a meal plan from the SOLDIER department itself where I can get 3 meals a day. I nod and then fill my tray so it is overflowing thinking of my poor empty stomach. I find a seat a nearly empty table that has a man sitting on the other side.

His dark eyes flit up for a moment but then return to his document that he scans while drinking a mug of steaming liquid. I examine him through lashes as I eat my tray of food; dark hair pulled back in a tight pony tail, dark eyes, slightly tanned skin, a tilak in the middle of his forehead. He wears a dark suit with an equally dark tie and a stark white shirt. I can tell that he examines me too through his downcast eyes trying to find out who I was.

His phone beeps and he answers it with a quick "This is Tseng." He stays quiet for a moment and then looks at me and then back to his papers. "I understand." He says and hangs up the phone quickly. He gathers his papers putting them into a folder and stands. "If you will excuse me," he gathers the rest of his things and leaves the hall.

I stare at the spot he was only moments before for a little while longer and then shake my head; most likely just a regular businessman. I quickly finish the rest of the food on my tray and return to my new apartment. I change into a new tank top and a pair of loose short. I read over my training assignments once more and then decide to retire early. For some reason, I felt tired even though I had woken up so late in the day. I set the alarm on my phone and then let sleep take me. The first day at this un-known company, not so bad for not knowing anything.

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><p><strong>Oh boy, a wild Tseng has appeared! And the mysterious boy, we all know who that is! :3<strong>

**So what do you think so far? I think this reconstruction is going well. Next time: Classes, training and rivals oh my!**


	5. Chapter 5: Training

_**Hey guys! next chapter here! Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII and it's characters. All I own is Kaja, and any character I think of. :)**_

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><p>Chapter 5: Training<p>

My alarm woke me at 0600 hours just as planned. I took a shower under the small stream of water as fast as I could and dressed into my new uniform. The buckles were a little confusing at first but I got the hang of it. I go to the cafeteria again for breakfast feeling an insane amount of hunger again. By 0700 I was done and ready to go to training. I take the elevator to the SOLDIER floor, number 49 and decide to sit in the waiting room. No one was around yet so I stuck to looking at my phone examining the details and what the feature were.

In my trance of technology I failed to notice someone come in. I only noticed them when they cleared their throat. I look up quickly with wide green eyes. The young man looking down at me had auburn locks and bright blue eyes. He wore the same color uniform as me, a dark purple.

"Are you a new recruit?" He asked me in a soft voice. I nod slowly and rise to me feet. He was still taller than me. He smiles and thrusts his hand in my face. "Well, it is nice to meet you. Are you sure you are in the right place? The SOLDIER program is tough."

I take his hand tentatively and give it a firm squeeze. "I'm tough enough," I tell him confidently. Or at least I hoped I was. I was really unsure on what would happen since my past was still un known to me.

"Well I hope so." He reaches up and plays with some loose strands of my hair. "What pretty hair. It's even brighter than mine." I hide a creeping blush on my face with a scowl.

"Genesis," a man behind us tells him in a warning tone. "Stop harassing her and go to class." The husky dark hair man approaches and moves the red head in front of me to the side. "Sorry about that ma'am. Genesis doesn't mean any harm."

"It's fine. As long as he keeps his hands to himself." I return his warm smile. So the auburn haired one is Genesis. "May I ask your name?"

"My name is Angeal Hewley, SOLDIER 3rd class, rank 6. This," He jerks his thumb at the red head. "Is Genesis Rhapsodos. He is also SOLDIER3rd class, rank 6."

"It is nice to meet you both. I am Kaja Hayes, and I just joined SOLDIER yesterday. I am still a 3rd class rank 1."

"Very well met. We should get to our lessons now. The faster you learn the faster you will go up in the ranks." I nod and follow my two new friends.

The entire morning was spent with a large group of other 3rd class SOLDIER. We learned how to salute someone properly, the history of the company (which was rather interesting), materia, the theory behind it, and then how to carry out missions to a point of success. All the time, Genesis and Angeal sat next to me, giving me pointers and telling me what to expect. Those two were like a blessing for me.

On our afternoon break for lunch before training I decided to ask a question that had been bothering me. "Hey, do you know of anyone in SOLDIER who has silver hair?" Angeal raised an eyebrow and Genesis half choked on his food.

"You mean you don't know?" Genesis was aghast. I shake my head and he acts shocked. "There is only one person in SOLDIER and he is 'the hero of dawn, healer of worlds.' His name is Sephiroth. No one knows much about him except he is an amazing SOLDIER. Even though he is still a 2nd class he is known as a hero, he saved his whole team out on a mission when eve the 1st in command could not. I hear he will be promoted soon."

"Sephiroth…" I let the name roll off of my tongue. It sounded so soft and gentle. "I saw him yesterday in Professor Hojo's lab. He looked," I pause for a moment trying to think of the best word. "Well, he looked a little sad and distant."

"Sephiroth was raised within the walls of Shin-Ra," Angeal informed me. "but enough of all this depressing talk. Training starts in ten minutes, let's hurry it up."

We finish off our lunch and head back over to the SOLDIER floor. "Oh Kaja," Genesis turns to me while walking to the training room. "Don't expect special treatment just because you are a girl. In fact they may train you harder. I think Miss. Nina, the 2nd class is pushed twice as hard compared to the other 2nd class SOLDIERs."

"Don't worry Genesis, I will make it through fine." At least I hoped so.

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><p>I will now change the definition of "fine" to: bruised, battered, harassed, and almost deaf from the instructor's loud bellows. Genesis was not kidding; I was pushed to my limits which surprised me and my instructors. Who knew I could run a mile without losing my breath or breaking a sweat? Something even most of the thirds have trouble with. Who knew that the instructors would make me run till I dropped? Or at least until he said we were moving on, but I was tired from it. Who knew that because I was a girl that another third would pick on me and push me around? Well, I for one did not. Let me explain a little more of what happened.<p>

It started out with two hours of stretching, sit ups, pushups, squats, jumps and even strengthening work outs. The instructor bellowed out directions in our ear, spitting in your faces with his loud words. As he said, "you can't be a SOLDIER if you can't maneuver quickly and gracefully."

We next moved onto running. We ran a consecutive 10 miles which was surprisingly not too hard for me. I found that some of the other thirds where having trouble even after the first mile. The instructor was surprised by my endurance and chose for me to run faster.

As soon as my legs started to hurt we were moved onto hand to hand combat. The young man I was paired with had softly curling blond hair and dark brown eyes. The smile on his lips was mocking, he thought I was weak. I showed him though when he failed to block a punch and I broke his jaw. I felt a little bad. But not really.

We were next moved into sword fighting. The blade I was given was poorly made, two handed and surprisingly light in my hands. I saw some of the thirds had trouble keeping their arms up. I looked down at my arms and noticed they were no bigger than the boy's who was struggling. I was given no time to ponder however because I was partnered with another person. This time, Angeal faced me with a small gentle smile. He did not doubt me or look down at me. I was actually really glad because he knew a lot about the sword. If I made a small mistake we would stop and he would quietly tell me what needed fixing before the instructor noticed.

Our last thing to do for the day was an hour of target practice with guns. I was told we did not do as much gun fighting but it was useful to be a good shot. I tried a vary of guns but liked the pistol the most, it fit well in my hand and wasn't bulky like the sniper riffle.

Genesis and Angeal pulled me to the cafeteria when us 3rds were released from our torture known as training. My legs and arms where sore and I could feel several bruises forming already. I wolfed down the food I was given and we all arrived at the apartment building. Surprisingly we were on the same floor our doors just a few apart. We gave each other incredulous stares and started laughing. We agreed to meet up for breakfast in the morning and then go to training together.

I shower for the second time today and decide that I would just shower in the evenings after training to save myself some money on soap. I changed into what I deemed my new pajama clothing and relax on my bed turning the TV on. I let the news reporter quietly ramble on about the war in Wutai for a few minutes before deciding I was too tired to stay awake. I let sleep take me to a dreamless sleep.

Genesis and Angeal came for me at 7:00 just as planned and looked way too awake for their own good.

"What is it Kaja? Not a morning person?" Genesis had chosen to annoy me first thing. I just grumble in response.

"Genesis," Angeal smacks him on the head. "What did I tell you about pestering her." Genesis gives a toothy grin and winks at me. I sigh and give him a small smile.

Breakfast was a somewhat loud affair between us since Genesis decided to read out of his new favorite book called "Loveless." I swear, I think I might hear him reading it in my sleep.

Classes started out the same as always and continued much like the previous day. I soon found that many of the SOLDIERs did not like me. They glared at every corner and whispered behind my back. I could hear them, they kept saying that I was sleeping with someone, but I ignored them. Why get worked up over something that is untrue?

When Sunday came I decided to sleep in a little and then go train. I went to one of the training rooms held specifically for thirds and found a few others there too. I found a quiet corner and practiced with a standard issue sword, slowly working through a form and then going faster with each run through.

I heard footsteps approach from behind me but ignore whoever it was.

"Oh, look at her, isn't she fancy." I could not miss the unmistakable distaste in their all familiar voice for Jolon Nigel. "The girl can actually move the sword around. I thought that she would be too busy sleeping with someone that she couldn't train."

I close my eyes and spin around at lightning speed stopping when my sword was just barley pressed up against Jolon's neck. I look dead in his eyes and see fear on the surface. "I'm sorry, I was too busy actually training that I did not notice your despicable presence. Next time I will be sure your blood flows." I lower my sword and jerk my head to the side indicating he should leave.

His fear turns into sudden anger. He steps forward and moves to place his fist in stomach. I side step with ease and rap my hilt on his head. I see him shutter just slightly but he does not fall. I narrow my eyes and begin to doge the furry of fists that come my way. "You little piece of shit!" I feel the spit from his words. "When I get my hands on you, you are dead."

I take small steps out of the way of each punch still; I can see he begins to tire. In my concentration on Jolon, I fail to notice that one of his friends steps in and slips his arms under my arm pits, successfully capturing and elevating me off the ground. Before I can retaliate, a fist connects with my solar plexus harshly and the air in my lungs is immediately pushed out.

Jolon's face looked a little fuzzy when I look at his smug smile. Another one of his lackeys takes my sword out of my limp hands and discard it somewhere across the room. His fist comes across my face next effectively cracking my jaw. I wince but do not cry out; I am not going to satisfy their sick hunger. "You think girls can just join SOLDIER? This isn't no kitchen, so you best leave while you know what's good."

I give a small laugh. "You think that all girls just stay at home and cook? Well, this one's staying here." Jolon punches me on the other side of the face cracking the other side of my jaw too.

"You will thoroughly regret staying in SOLDIER once I'm done with you, bitch." He turns to the person holding me. "Drop her."

The guy in back of me does what he is told and throws me on the ground. Jolon's boot comes down on my ribs and cracks those too. My eyes widen at the searing pain that clouds my mind. I feel several pairs of boots connecting with my sides shortly afterwards, meaning his friends must have joined in with the fun too.

I clench my teeth as one person, probably Jolon, spits in my face. I promptly hear his voice telling his friends to follow him. He had enough of "beating the wench up." I lay in the same spot for an unknown amount of time, just staring at the ceiling, holding back tears. The first week I am getting beat up and still do not remember anything from my past.

I curled up into a ball of pain putting my face into my hands. I didn't want to feel anything; I didn't want to think of anything. I just felt, like I didn't want to exist. Wiping my eyes I manage to get to my feet and collect my sword that was thrown in a corner. There were a few others in the training room, their eyes would quickly flit to me and then back to their partner or a wall. I return my borrowed blade to the supply room and limp back to my room. Half way down the hall I heard a couple of male voices talking. I turned the corner and freeze immediately.

Genesis and Angeal are standing in the hall, grocery bags in hand, in the process of opening up Angeal's door. They stopped and stare back at me.

"Minerva…" genesis whispered under his breath looking wide eyed as my appearance.

Angeal drops his bag and tries to rush over to me. I quickly regain some sense and rush into my room slamming the door into his face. I leaned against the door and sat down slowly letting my face fall into my knees. "Kaja!" Angeal's voice was concerned. "What happened?"

I don't answer and shake silently. "Kaja," Genesis this time. "Open the door, we are worried!"

"Just, go away," it was more of a whisper than the yell I had wanted.

"Kaja, did someone hurt you?" Silence. "Who did this to you?" I don't answer again. I can hear them talking to themselves quietly. "Genesis, who do you think did this?"

"I don't know, could be a whole lot of them. We can't tell for sure unless she says someth—" They both got eerily quiet.

"What do you think you are doing in front of lady's door whispering like that? Don't you know that's rude?" My head shot up, that's Nina. Technically if she ordered me, I would have to open my door.

"But ma'am, Kaja, looks like she got beaten up." Genesis sounded almost whiney.

"Beat up?" I could only imagine their nods. "Kaja, it's me Nina, will ya' open the door?"

I shook my head. "I just want to be alone." I tell her.

"Kaja, I will pull rank on you if you don't. Please just open the door so we can get you fixed up."

I sighed deeply and stumble to my feet again. I slowly open the door and step outside letting them survey the whole damage. Nina looks so apologetic. "Oh, sweetie…" she almost breathed the words to me. "Come on; let's go to the medical wing."

I look away and sigh again. "Alright, let me just put on some cleaner clothing." I close the door and change as fast as I can, wincing from all of the pain. I look on my bed and see a folder that was not there that morning. I pick it up and read the context and frown. Professor Hojo wanted me back in the lab today.

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><p><strong><em>Oh, this chapter killed me! I hate to swear and I felt so terrible writing it even if it wasn't me swearing. T.T <em>**

**_Next time, Hojo is Hojo and the first monthly SOLDIER exam! :D_**

**_p.s. if people review I will make story art... :P hint hint!_**


	6. Chapter 6: Trial (Extra added at end!)

**Author's Note:**

**I added another part to the end, so if you already read this chapter I am sorry for the confusion. I realized afterwards that I need to add another part to this chapter to have the next chapter flow better. **

**Please enjoy!**

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><p>Chapter 6: Trial<p>

Nina escorted me to the labs instead of the medical wing that day. The moment I entered the lab I was ushered into the back where Hojo was waiting. I am unsure how, but his frown somehow deepened at the sight of my bruised and battered body.

I heard Hojo click his tounge. "What a worthless experiment." His words were just barely audible. I wondered if Nina heard it, but I did not ask. "Remove your shirt and get on the table; don't waste my time." He motioned towards the metal table behind him and I grudgingly followed his orders.

The table was cold on my bare skin when I lay down. I noticed Nina was already gone, hopefully waiting outside. Hojo decided to poke at the bruises and broken ribs. I hissed at him but he does not stop. I heard him mutter something to himself and he leaves the room. Not a minute late he returned, but with a couple of assistants with him. They quickly throw the leather restrains across me and pull them snug.

I feel the table move upright only increasing my fears. The table stops moving and one assistant brings over an odd contraption. He positions it next to me and screws in a big vial of a glowing green substance. I look at it trying to think of where I have seen it but nothing comes up. I only knew the color was all too familiar.

Another assistant prods at the nook between my neck and collar bone and marks an "X" a specific spot. They finally strapped my head against the table and pull it tight. I felt my heart beat increasing along with more of my fears. I close my eyes and took several deep breaths. The needle plunged into my collar making my eye fly open.

The initial pain wasn't so bad, but as soon as the fiery liquid started to pour into my body I knew why they needed to restrain me. I heard a scream and quickly realize that it is me. I clamped my mouth shut with some difficulty. My mind went blank after a few moments more. I don't remember how long the administration took, but I do remember being jostled awake when I hit the floor. They had taken the restraints off and let me fall. I crawled over to my shirt where I had left it previously and put it on with great difficulty. Everything in my body screamed with the fire. I tried to stand but I found myself collapsed on the floor. I couldn't move.

I thought I heard yelling but it felt so far away. My body is moved to a sitting position and then picked up. I look up and see black uniform and pale silver. The warmth from the body against mine was almost alien next to the cold floor. My eyes focused more on the pale face and they connected with luminous teal green eyes. For a moment, everything had melted away, the only thing that I saw was those beautiful eyes.

I didn't look away when the person does; I just keep staring at his pale face. When my back was set onto something soft and they leave from my vision all together, I still looked at the spot where they were in my vision.

I finally close my eyes and pushed away the pain and nausea from my mind. As I fell asleep I distinctly remember the feeling of a warm hand on my head.

I roll my shoulders a little bit, they were a little sore from all the training I had been doing. Three weeks had passed since I got a Mako injection from Hojo and today was the day of the first examination for SOLDIER. I stood in the line of other thirds patiently and as far away as Jolon that I could. I saw movement the same time as the other thirds did from the doorway. We all snapped to a firm salute and faced forward, trying not let our gaze wander to who was coming in.

The tall young man took gentle yet confidant steps past each one of us, taking care to note each detail. When he stopped in front of me I could almost see a hint of surprise in his cat like eyes. I look into his eyes and stop dead for a moment. They were the same eyes from the time I couldn't move from the Mako administration. Was that the person who carried me out? I returned my face to neutral and tried to avoid eye contact. I felt the pressure of his gaze for a few moments and suppressed a shutter once he had moved onto the next in line.

Once the young man's inspection was over he stood in front of us taller than ever in his black 1st class uniform. "At ease," he said in a fairly deep voice. We SOLDIERs dropped our salute and spread our legs slightly apart putting our hands behind out back at the same time.

"Your evaluation today will consist of a written exam and then field work. You will also be tested on your stamina, strength and techniques. Once the assessment is over then you will all get your scores in the briefing room on this floor. After that you will be dismissed for the rest of the day. Your written exam will start shortly, please enter into this room," he motions to the door behind him and opens it. When no one moved I saw a faint twitch of his eyebrow. "You may proceed."Slowly the person at the end of the line walked unsteadily to the door followed by everyone else.

We filled into a large class room with an instructor at the front beckoning us to "come up and take a number from the jar, it will determine where you are sitting for the test." We did as such and took a number each. I reached into the bowl and pulled out a number that would hopefully be away from Jolon. I stepped out of the way so another third could get his slip and I unfolded it. I sighed in frustration towards the paper marked with a large number "1". I look at the monitor and my fears are confirmed even more so. I was in the front row. At least nobody could claim that I had cheated off of someone else.

I take my seat and find that Genesis lucky got seat number 2. I could see Angeal across the room and gave him a small wave and a smile of assurance. "Don't worry, Kaja," I could feel Genesis leaned closer to me. "I won't cheat off of you." I give him a humph and a smirk.

"Thank you Genesis," I murmured back to him. "You are too kind." I hear him chuckle but he is interrupted by the instructor.

"All right everybody, the talking stops now. Anyone who talks after the test is handed out will immediately get a zero. Anyone I catch cheating will also automatically get a zero. I will hand out the packets but do not start until I tell you to begin. Is there any questions? Good."

The instructor hands a pile of packets out to each row letting us take one and pass them back. I look at the amount of paper that compiles the thick exam packet. Was I supposed to answer all of those questions?

"Alright, you have four hours to complete this test. Ready? Begin!" Our instructor started his stop watch and sat down at his desk presumably to make sure to watch us like a hawk.

I fill out my name and information on the front and then quickly slice open the small sticker on the packet apart. Alright, time to get started, I thought to myself.

_1. When was the Shin-Ra Company founded?_

Well that easy, Shin-Ra was founded in 1952. Okay, next one.

_2. What day did the Shinra science department discover the ancient named "Jenova" and who found it?_

Was this test supposed to be hard? The ancient Jenova was found on October 10th, 1959 by Professor Gast.

I continued through each of the questions, answering the extremely easy history questions. I noticed at the last question of history, there was another section on the next page. Oh, joy. Math. I looked at the problems, they started out very simple but as the questions went on they became harder. I did the best I could, but felt as though I did not do as well on that part. The next part was meteria theory.

_70. What do you get when you cross a piece of blizzard materia and a piece of poison matera?_

Was this a joke, I had thought to myself. Man, it's Dark Blizzard.

The test quizzed me on several other materia combinations. I soon found myself looking at the last question. It was one of those ethical ones where you answer what you would do in a specific situation.

_112. You are in a mission that is top priority that if left unfinished, it would mean the demise of the company. One of your comrades is being held hostage and you have to make a choice between saving your comrade or the company. Which would you choose? _

I re read it at least twice. I my head start to feel light so I lean it against my hand. The thing is, I knew the answer they would like to hear and the answer that I would give. I push my pencil on to the paper and start to write, hoping that it is the correct answer.

_"I would finish the mission and save my friend."_ I lay the pencil down and stare at the answer. I hope I am not the only one that would answer this way. I push my chair out and walk to the front of the class and hand my packet of paper to the instructor. He looks at me, the paper and then takes to put it in his pile. He waves his hand and points back at my seat once he is in possession on my test meaning I am to sit back down. I nod and do so.

I rest my head on my hand and wait for the time to pass. There was about 30 minutes left according to the clock. I sighed and start to hum and unfamiliar tune silently in my head. I couldn't remember where I had heard it from, but I knew that it was from somewhere. My head starts to throb from trying to remember so I stop and play with my fingers next. I needed to cut my nails soon…

Genesis shifts in his seat and lets out an exasperated sigh. He must be on the last question. I keep my eyes forward; I did not want to be accused of cheating even though I had turned in my paper. I would have to ask him later. He scratches his pencil on his paper and then sets it down rather loudly. He must be frustrated. He marches up to the instructor and hands him the papers and returns to his seat. I see Angeal move and hand in his test too.

I look at the clock again, 5 minutes left, and then we can leave. I shift in my seat again starting to get very uncomfortable.

4 minutes left; I play with the pencil in front of me, rolling it back and forth.

3 minutes left; I let out a quiet sigh and lean back in my chair.

2 minutes left; I let my eyes dart around the room observing every object seeing if there was anything else to amuse me with.

1 minute left; I watch the clock, the seconds ticking by. I see the instructor looking at his stop watch, almost time now…

The instructor rises out of his seat and stands in front of his desk. I hear the pencils of unfinished SOLDIERs writing faster in hopes to finish that question they are on. The instructor raises his stop watch and presses the button. "Alright, pencils down!" Many of the thirds jump hearing the bellow after a long period of silence. I hear groans of the SOLDIERs who most likely did not finish the test. "Everyone who has not brought up their test do so now. Once you pass your test in, you are free to go. Remember that your second test on strength, stamina and agility is next. It will start at 13 hundred hours so don't be late. You are dismissed."

I stand quickly and stretch my limbs along with many others. I hear Genesis yawn rather dramatically and he waves for me to follow. "Come along Kaja, let's meet Angeal outside and we can get lunch before our next test." We follow the crowd of SOLDIERs and move to the side of the door to wait for Angeal.

Gensis grabs Angeal by the arm and pulls him to our group. "What do you say about getting some lunch before the next exam?"

He gives a smile, "A light one would be best." They nod to each other and then to me. "So, how did you think you did, Kaja?" Angeal asks me while walking.

I smile gently at him; his smile was an infectious one. "Well, I think I did okay. I finished all of the questions so that is always good. But mostly all of the questions were really easy."

"That good Kaja, that means that you have learned well in your short period of time here. Faster than most do actually. That shows real dedication. I am sure that you will go far in your career as a SOLDIER."

I look at him dumbstruck for a moment. Angeal had said the most inspiring thing I had ever heard. He was truly the voice of wisdom. "Well, how do you think you did, Angeal?"

"I believe that I did quite well. I have seen many of the questions before so I was able to figure them out faster. And you Genesis?" Angeal turn to the redhead in front of me.

"Oh me?" Genesis asks rather dreamily. "Piece of cake! Most of those questions were on the last test."

"Well, I am glad that we all have confidence in our scores already," I tell them just as we arrive in the cafeteria.

We ate a light lunch as Angeal suggested. We did not want to get stomach aches while running around for the field test and such. We moved to the indoor gym facility. The instructor was already there waiting as patiently as he could for the rest to show up.

People slowly trickled in but everyone arrived before the time that was set for the beginning of the examination.

"Alright, SOLDIERs now begins your fitness test. You will be judged on your strength, your flexibility, agility, speed and endurance. This will test the basic skills that you have been learning during your time here. You will be split into five groups and go around to different stations. Pick a number from this bowl to get your assigned groups."

A rough line forms and we pick our numbers. We look at each of our sheets and sigh. Angeal and I managed to make it into the same group but Genesis was being placed into another group. He shrugs and moves off towards the weight lifting section with the rest of his group while Angeal and I moved to the treadmills set up for endurance.

A secondary instructor was waiting for our group of eleven there. He moved us onto the treadmills immediately so we didn't waste time. We were told to go as far as we could within a half an hour. "If you get too tired and can't bear to carry on then stop but slow down if you are having trouble. Begin, now!"

We start the machines up and start to run. I start mine at a fast trot to begin with just to get warmed up. After a few minutes I feel my legs start to get into the rhythm and crank the speed up to a run. Feeling more comfortable I turn the speed up again after the fifteen minute mark, this time to a fast run. I would sprint the last five minutes. I take a deep breath and even out my heart beat. I look at my screen and find I am on my sixth mile. Looking at the clock I judge that I can make it to at least eight miles as long as I use the remaining ten minutes to sprint.

I turn the dial one last time so it is on the maximum speed. The motion of my legs feel familiar to me. Running, I must have done that in the past. If I could just piece my memory back together I would feel so much better. My breath changes from my speed. Not much but enough to effect the rate of my heart too.

No time to think about this now, I chided myself. Right now I needed to prove that I would be strong enough for this program. I had to let the other know that I am just as good as them or better. I need to make sure they know not to mess with me again.

"Time!" I hear our instructor below. "Turn the speed off and dismount from the machine. We will take the data from them so stay put so we know who used each machine." I steady myself against the treadmill and take deep breaths.

"Name?" the instructor steps in front of me.

"My name is Kaja Hayes." I tell him solidly. He grunts and walks around me to the machine writing down the stats. "You are all set, get a drink of water and move to the next station for strength."

"Thank you sir," I let out a breath I did not know I was holding and find Angeal waiting for me. He hands me a paper cup of water that I swallow in one gulp. He laughs at my action. "What?" I furrow my brows at him.

"Oh nothing, I am just amused. Let us move on." I nod and we find ourselves looking at the burly weight trainer. The SOLDIERs in our group go one at a time. We all do bench presses and show the most we can press. We also do the same for our legs. After we move onto pull ups. I managed to lift 203 pounds, get 378 pound with my legs and then did 24 pull ups. Angeal was amazing his arm strength just about doubled mine. I look at my skinny arms and sigh. I would never be especially strong.

I find myself going through the rest of the tests without thinking. I was quite flexible, agile and was pretty fast. At least I was good for something.

Next was or field examination. I needed to do well. Even if I didn't have a lot of physical strength, I could maneuver quickly. I could still prove that I am a good SOLDIER. I didn't want to have Yolon trampling on me anymore thinking I was not cut out for this program.

I trot along with my squad of thirds. We are led by a second class SOLDIER down a wooded path. Bamboo crawls around us making the woods thick. I look up at the night sky for a second picking out billions of stars. It was much different than the skies of Midgar where it was always cloudy. I turn my head back to the path in front of me, the assessment was more important.

"Alright, stay close now," the voice of our leader was hushed as he crouched on the edge of a large shrub. "The plan is to infiltrate the Wutai base over there and take out everyone there. If we can do that then the war can be won much faster. Everyone understand? Follow formation C until the signal and then move into formation E. Move out!" He lifts himself up and we move according to the plan. We were to move as a group until we saw the flare and then move to smaller groups. I was in a small group of 3 other Thirds.

I feel adrenaline coursing through me. Would real missions be just like this? Feeling the rush of exhilaration as you walk into enemy territory? Not knowing when or where they will be striking? I liked it, no matter what it was. This is why I was in SOLDIER because I was exhilarated just by the thoughts of battles and the knowledge that I would be victorious.

Yelling from over the wall ahead of us starts to accumulate. A light streaks into the sky quietly busting at the top of its arc; there was the signal. I moved to the left with my three other comrades. Our designated leader was named Jonathan. He was a good natured person who didn't look down on my too much. I saw him scrutinizing me sometimes, but I don't think he really hated me.

The other two looked at me in disgust and I rolled my eyes. "Why do we have to be with the wench?" I hear one of them whisper making me roll my eyes even farther if possible. They always say things like that.

"You two stop it," Jonathan raises his voice just slightly. "Underestimate someone you do not understand and you will pay a heavy price." I hear the other two scoff but I ignore them. Someday they would be sorry.

The entrance we took used to be guarded judging by the two dead bodies in a heap right in front of it. We jumped over them and entered the base with quiet feet. I listen closely trying to pick out any footsteps that would be coming. I heard some yelling in the distance; most likely a fight of some sort. We group ourselves in a shadowed corner and Jonathan pulls out a sheet of paper with sort of writing on it. "We are looking for this written on or next to a door," his voice is hushed. "It means control room. We are going to take out their surveillance cameras. That way other can move around the base easier. Everyone got it memorized?" I examine the characters a little more burning them into my memory. Why did they look somewhat familiar? I nodded my head after another moment and the other two do the same. Jonathan pockets that paper again and rises to his feet. "Let's move out then."

Our feet make quiet taps on the wood floors, our eyes darting back and forth looking for the characters we needed. I spot a door one of the boys's passed and stop. The characters looked similar. "Jonathan," I call him over quietly. "These characters look similar. Are they the same?"

He pulls out the paper and holds it up to the plaque. It was a match. "Good eye Kaja!" he whispers to me excitedly. Alright you two, let's do this." We move into position: the two boys on the side of the door, me in front to kick it open and then Jonathan behind me. I look back and he nods.

I take a deep breath and chamber one leg up, letting it fly and knocking the thin door out. I run in and draw my sword the two people at the control table turn around quite surprised. I bring my sword across in an arc finding both of their necks with ease. They slump to the side gurgling a little with their last breath.

The rest of the team comes in behind me. One of the boys who name I didn't know finds a third person and makes quick work of them too. Jonathan makes one final survey of the room and starts to look at the computer. He looks at the keyboard and gives out a frustrated sigh. "Of course their keys only have Wutain characters on them. I am guessing none of you know how to read this either, right?" He mumbles half to us and half to his self but we shake our heads nonetheless.

Jonathan takes a seat in the chair and starts to fiddle around with the computer. He clicks in several folders until he finds what he is looking for, the language change. He presses the button triumphantly and leans back for a moment. The screen flickers and readjusts to the changes that where just made.

Once the characters turn into letters, Jonathan types away different codes. It takes him several minutes but finally the screens turn to fuzz. He takes out his phone and informs the team in charge of the signal that the cameras where offline.

"Alright," Jonathan stands up. "Let's get moving to stage two of the plan. We are to move to exit B and stand watch," he points to a map on his phone screen. "We can't let any Wutian leave or enter. Understood?" We nod at him. "Very well; move out!"

We make our way back out the way we came in our feet still quiet. The bodies of the guards were still there when we make it back to the exit. Looks like no one had seen them yet. Jonathan and one boy, apparently Matt, take the look out of inside the building while the other boy and I look out to the dark forest. Even without sufficient light I can tell that he glares at me from the side. I sigh quietly and survey the forest. I know someone has to approach this way eventually.

And my intuition was right; in an off handed way.

I swing my sword in an arc slicing multiple Wutians at once; their semi-circle of soldiers were now on the ground. my body flows into another strike stabbing one that came from behind. Adrenaline pumped through my veins setting my nerves on fire. The sheer excitement of the battle was exhilarating, and I loved it so much. Feeling the weight of flesh on my blade, moving at high speeds, and finding once you calm down a little bit that all of the enemies are gone; all things that made me feel like I was unstoppable.

I turn around in a circle and find all of the Wutians are down. I sigh and wipe my standard issue sword off on a dead Wutian. "Everyone all right?" I call back to my team.

"Looks like everyone is accounted for," Jonathan calls back. "A few scrapes and cuts over here but nothing serious. How about you?"

I check myself over and find that all of the blood on me is not my own. "I received no injuries," I tell him walking over to the rest of our group.

"Good. We are to wait here until we get a call from our Second class leader of our unit. So keep on your toes because there could always be more lurking in the shadows."

I did just that; my feet spread apart, my eyes scanning in front of me with my sword out in front. About five minutes later we received a call from our Second class unit leader telling us to get back to the area of the woods we came through first. We took one last survey of the area and made our way back to the forest entrance to wait for the rest of our unit.

"Good work team 4," our unit leader greets us. "And you too team 3." Another team trots in behind us. "That should be everyone, I will call the direc—" quick footsteps pat towards us; Wutians.

Before I knew it my body automatically moved forward and whipped my sword in an arc slicing the three Wutians at once. I turn around and look at my groups wide eyes. I had reacted fast, maybe too fast for normalcy. I say nothing, there wasn't anything to say.

I stand in between Genesis and Angeal waiting for our test scores in the SOLDIER briefing room. The other third class SOLDIERs eyes were glued to the man in front announcing names. I hear my name ring out in the room. I take a deep breath and approach the man giving a firm salute.

"SOLDIER third class, Hayes. Here is your report," he hands me an envelope with my name on it. I give another salute and return to my two friends. Angeal received his shortly after mine while Genesis waited for an extra few minutes. After everyone in the room got their envelopes the man in front tells us that the next place we report to is written on the results inside the envelope and we are dismissed.

Angeal, Genesis and I make a small circle out in the common room with envelopes in hand. "Okay, who wants to go first?" Angeal looks at us all. Genesis smiles widely while making eye contact with him. "Very well, Genesis. How did you do?"

He pull out the files and read through them. Not even a minute later a full smiles grows on his face. "I was promoted to second class rank 1!" I feel myself smile at his excitement, Angeal does too. "Now your turn Angeal."

He does the same and looks through the files smiling at the end. "I was also promoted to second class rank 1." Genesis exchanges a high five with his friend. "Looks like we will be together still. And you Kaja? How did you end up?"

I open the file with shaking fingers. Was it fear, anticipation or excitement that made my heart beat rapidly? The papers that slide out have a full report on the things that the instructors have noted and suggested about my performance. Another page has the final test scores of the written exam. The second to last page has the overall status of how I did on the examination. I find the section where my class and rank status were. My feel my heart almost stop and my face grow pale.

What?!

* * *

><p><strong>Next time: The results and change!<strong>


	7. Chapter 7: First Missions

**It's finally here! Chapter 7! I do not own Final Fantasy VII, it's characters, or locations. That would be pretty cool though... Enjoy!**

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><p>Chapter 7: First Missions<p>

Angeal and Genesis leaned over my shoulder to get a look at the paper since I was not saying anything. "Kaja, that's great!" Angeal places a firm hand on my back. Genesis grabs the paper to get a better look. "That means that you will be with us!"

"I guess so," I say not really paying attention. SOLDIER 2nd class.

"This calls for a celebration!" Genesis calls out and Angeal agrees.

"Celebration?!" I call after them, they had already started to walk away.

"Yeah," Angeal turns around to me. "We are all going out for dinner tonight to commemorate not only our promotion, but yours. Hurry up and get cleaned up so we can get going."

I blink at them. I put the stack of paper back into the envelope and hurried after them. I did not want to miss time with these friends.

I took a quick shower to clean off the sweat from the day and changed into plain comfortable clothing. I was just pulling on my boots when they came to get me. I grab my coat and meet a surprise on the other side of the door; Nina was out of uniform and standing with Angeal and Genesis.

"Congratulation, Kaja. You made it to 2nd class, and in record time too!" Nina claps me on the shoulder. I give her a small smile and a "thank you."

Angeal lead us into sector two to a small restaurant that was inexpensive but very good. We laughed, we ate and just enjoyed each other's company. By the end of the evening I was very tired but I kept myself awake to read the envelope that held my results and promotion details.

Most of the instructors had grown a grudging respect to me in the last few weeks and the reports showed that. Their feedback included that they had their doubts about me but found that I learned quick; quicker than most boys and men that came through. The instructors from the morning sessions said that I had learned everything already and would be a waste of time to keep me back. My strength had met the requirement of becoming a 2nd class SOLDIER and I had learned all the katas for the 3rd class. They said I followed orders well and had an eye for details.

I was a little confuse but grateful at the same time. Even though I wanted too, I did not want to say that most of my knowledge came from before I remember. I knew of things, but my identity and such were lost to my mind. I sigh and turn to the next page. This one had the details of where I was to report to next. My uniform was already on my bed (they must have put it there while I was out) but I had to report to the public safety department in the morning to get a revised ID card that would state my new rank. The paper stated that I also had a meeting with the Director at 14:00 to review my new duties.

I sigh and put the papers to the side finally crawling in bed. I guess I was happy to have made it so far in only a month though I know to get to the next class will be even harder.

I woke around 9:00 and went to the public safety office to get my new ID card first. It was printed off in minutes and I was ready to go. I decided to change into my new uniform and go to one of the practice halls to get in some exercise.

There were a few people in the hall, all 3rd class SOLDIER. To my luck, Jolon was there. Joy to the world. I take one of the standard issue swords off the rack and find my own corner to go through my katas. Sometime during the middle of it I hear feet behind me and sense the presence of a person. I switch to another kata that has turns in it too. Spinning around I level the tip of my sword at Jolon's nose. I flick the blade lightly making a very small cut on the end of his nose.

"Didn't I tell you to not to interfere with me again?" I bring the sword down to my side looking him in the eyes.

"Yes," he sighs looking bored, a small smirk on his lips. "And I believe that you mentioned something about drawing blood too, back then. Looks like that promise was upheld." He touches the small cut on his nose and brings it away with smear of blood. "Look Kaja, I want to make this clear. I don't think women should be in the SOLDIER program, they are far weaker than men. But I think that even though I don't approve of you, I respect you a little. It takes guts to stand up for yourself and enroll in a program like this.

"I originally thought that you were just sleeping your way around but after a month of seeing your progress, I see why you were accepted into the program. You learn fast and you have a feel for the fighting arts."

My mouth hung open for a moment or so. "Is this an apology?"

He smirks. "No, I won't apologize. But I will leave you alone from now on. Especially since you are now my superior, Ma'am."

I find a smile growing on my lips. "Very well, SOLDIER. Thank you and be on your way. Go and train hard." He nods and walks away from me. Who would have ever guessed? Certainly not me. I assume he must have judged me too fast.

I shake my head and return the sword to the rack. It was almost time for my meeting with Director Lazard anyways. I take the elevator up and take confident strides to his desk, Angeal and Genesis were already there waiting.

"Now that you are all here I can begin," Lazard opens a file on his desk. "As of now you are officially a 2nd class SOLDIER, congratulations. I am impressed with all of you how you have made it so far in such a short time. There is no doubt in my mind that all of you will go far.

"As a 2nd class SOLDIER there are some duties that will need to be performed more regularly. You will all start training more independently. Trainers will send you a list of exercises for the week and you are to do them. You are no longer required to go to specific training classes or sessions. From now on you will be mainly focusing on going into the field on missions. As thirds I know that both Angeal and Genesis have done real missions before but it doesn't look like you, Kaja have been out there. I have appointed Miss. Nina Smith, SOLDIER 2nd class to be your advisor on the matter. She will accompany you on missions and you with her and give you advice on how to complete the missions to the best of your abilities.

"I already have missions for all three of you so gather what you need and depart as soon as possible." He hands us each an envelope. "Kaja, call Nina and tell her to report to my office. Once she comes you two can depart on your mission."

I give him a firm salute along with my two friends and Lazard dismisses us.

"Good luck with your missions you two! I am going to wait here for Nina."

"Thanks, Kaja," Angeal gives me a solid clap on the shoulder. "Do your best."

The elevator doors part us and I am finally by myself again. I take out my phone and locate Nina's number quickly and push the send button.

"This is Nina," she had picked up only a few rings in.

"Hi Nina, this is Kaja. Director Lazard told me to tell you to come up to his office."

"Oh hey Kaja. I will be up in a few." The phone clicks and I return my device to my pocket.

I look at the contents of the mission and it looks like a simple monster hunting mission just in the slums. Shouldn't be too hard. I hear the elevator ding and I look over, expecting Nina to come out I jump from the wall and put a smile on my face.

The smile drops from my face almost immediately. A the silver haired young man in the black SOLDIER uniform steps out and looks at me with luminous blue green eyes. My mind freezes; this person is Sephiroth. I shake myself out a sort of a daze a snap to a salute. "Sir."

He looks at me almost like he is confused. "At ease," he tells me. His voice is fairly deep. "I heard you made it to 2nd class already. Congratulations, you even beat my record of how fast I moved up the ranks, Kaja." His lips twitches into what looks almost like a smile and walks past me in to Lazards office. I stare after him long after he is gone.

The elevator dings but I don't bother to look. "Hey Kaja, what's up?" Nina stands next to me. "Is there something wrong?"

I finally look at her. "No, nothing. I just… yeah… uh, Lazard wants to see you." I was still in a stupor from that visit with Sephiroth. She raises an eyebrow at me.

"Okay, I will be right back." I nod and she enters the room.

He knew my name. Well I guess that wasn't too hard, there were very few women in the SOLDIER program. But more than that, he knew I was just promoted recently and how fast it took me. That only meant on thing; Sephiroth was keeping tabs on how and what I was doing.

Great.

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><p>My first missions wasn't too hard. It went rather smoothly. Nina showed me the ropes and gave me pointers on the extremely basic mission. She said there was a set number of monsters we were to clear out and then we would be finished.<p>

We disposed of 25 monsters that were roaming around the slums and reported back to Lazard with mission reports in hand (Nina helped me fill mine out). The next few missions where pretty similar; monster hunting in the slums and surrounding area of Midgar.

I didn't get to see Angeal or Genesis very often much more because they were busy doing missions themselves, but having Nina to talk to was very nice. When I did see them we would often hang out at a local café in sector 1 and discuss what had been going on in our lives.

I told Genesis about the encounter I had with Sephiroth and he was seemed jealous that I had conversed with him before he did. But I told him that next time he would be the one to talk to him, which he seemed pretty excited about.

Things moved by fast. I wasn't sure what was happening very much. Every few months I would go in for a mako injection from the science department and be tested on my abilities every month. There were no written tests but we did virtual missions and asses our physical progress. Before I knew it a half of a year went by, it was summer and I was still in 2nd class.

By then I was assigned on solo missions without Nina as an advisor. But in some ways I was very happy that I was able to go out on my own. I could do a lot of thinking to myself. My head still felt foggy though. Pieces were starting to surface back like details of where I used to live. It was surrounded by cool air and fresh pine forests.

One day when I was relaxing in the café by myself drinking a cup of hot tea I got a call from someone totally unexpected: Sephiroth.

I open the phone warily "This is Kaja."

"Lazard wants to see you as soon as possible." He wasted no time in idle chit chat.

"Yes sir." He hung up the phone. I went back to base as quickly as possible. Lazard was waiting in his office, as was Sephiroth. I gave them both a firm salute. "Director, Sir."

The director waves his hand and I relax. "I have a new mission for you Kaja. You will be going with Sephiroth to Wutai. You are to go and infiltrate a base. Sephiroth will give you more details on the way over. Pack your things and depart in one hour. Report to the helipad by then. Good luck and you are dismissed."

We saluted and walked out of his office and into the elevator. "Meet at the helipad within the hour, I will give the rest of the details once we are on our way. It is crucial that we get moving so gather your things quickly. Be prepared to stay in Wutai for a few days."

"Yes Sir," I give him a salute and step off onto the floor my room was on. I pack a duffle bag with just the essentials. I was packed within minutes and ready to go. My nerves where humming with excitement. I grab the sword that was assigned to me and do a run through in my head making sure that I have everything. Satisfied I leave my room and make my way to the elevator again.

"Kaja!" Nina is coming up behind me. "Hold the door won't you? Where are you off to with that bag? You going on vacation already?" I smile at her joke and press the floor for the helipad.

"No Nina, I am going on a mission with Sephiroth to Wutai. Lazard said we may be there a few days so this is for that."

"With Sephiroth?!" I just shrugged my shoulders. "But—wow. You must be getting better and better each day to be able to go on a mission like him."

"I can't contain my enthusiasm," I tell her dryly

Her eyebrows knit together. "Do you not like him?"

"He makes me nervous. Something about him, I don't know how to explain it." One of her eyebrows raise and she "humphs" at me. The elevator door opens to the roof with the helipad. The helicopter and pilot already waiting with Sephiroth. "I will see you when I get back, Nina."

"Good luck with your mission," she gives me a wink and the doors close.

I take a deep breath and approach the two men. The pilot was a simple man with a rough shave and mousy brown hair. He wore jeans and a simple flight jacket, he was definitely a man of the air.

"Sir," I salute to Sephiroth. "I am ready to depart."

"Very well, put your things in the helicopter and we will depart." He turns to the man and gives a nod. He climbs into the cockpit most likely to prepare the takeoff. Sephiroth was a gentleman and let me step in first. I secure my bag in a compartment and take my seat in the back, Sephiroth across from me.

Sephiroth sits quietly while the helicopter takes off, looking off into the distance out the window.

"Is this your first time leaving Midgar?" His question seems out of the blue.

"No, Sir. I have been outside and to the surrounding towns a few times in the recent months. But I have never been to Wutai, much less the continent. What about you, Sir?"

He turns his head to me, his luminous eyes catching mine. I meet his gaze pushing back all of my signs of nervousness. The corner of his lips turn up just slightly. "I have been to many places, even Wutai once. It was part of a delegation when Shin-Ra first proposed the idea of a Mako reactor there."

I nod at him and he turns his gaze back out the window. "Sir, permission to speak?"

"Granted," he still looks out the window.

"May I ask of the mission details?" He looks at me again.

"If that is what you wish," he pulls out an envelope from his bag. "There should be several bases in Wutai, we are to go to a base that our Intel has located and infiltrate it. Once there we will take a look around the base and see how it works. Out main objective is to find out who is in charge of the base and what their military strategies are. That way our fellow SOLDIERs can later go and fight the Wutai effectively. Kill anyone you see and who puts up a fight. Any questions?"

"Yes Sir. If there are any civilians what should we do with them?"

"If they are civilians and do not show that they will fight back then leave them be. They are not involved in the fight. Anything else?"

"No Sir."

"Very good. Once on the ground follow my lead."

"Yes Sir." Silence followed. I look outside the window watching the clouds go by. I turn back, he had asked me a question. "Excuse me Sir, but I did not hear you the first time."

"I said, are you enjoying your time in the SOLDIER program?" The corner of his lip was upturned again; his version of a smile.

"Oh, yes Sir. I have found some very good friends in the program."

"You seem to be doing quite well."

"Yes, Sir," a small smile spreads across my face.

"May I ask you a question?" I nod at him. "Why did you join the SOLDIER program? We don't usually get many women applicants, even less who are accepted."

"I wasn't quite sure at the beginning why I was doing this, Sir. I don't really remember much from before I entered the program. But as time went on this thought occurred in my mind: I want to save someone. I didn't know who, but I just wanted to. Anyone I guess. Maybe I just want to protect people. And even if it costs me my life then it is okay. I will know that someone else can do something with their life worthwhile. I'm sorry Sir, I just went off with that."

He waves his hand letting my rambling off the hook. "We should arrive in Junon in a few hours. We will refuel there and then continue to Wutai where we will do an air drop. You may want to get some rest now." He closes his eyes and leans his head back. He must be tired.

I examine his features a little more as he rests. I wasn't that tired at the moment. His long silver hair is pulled back in a high pony tail, his face framed by loose bangs. His nose is slim and long leading to his thin delicate looking lips. His jaw looks delicate too, but his cheekbones are strong. His eyes were amazing, they looked like pools of the Mako the scientists injected me with occasionally. His pupils were slightly ovules, not circular like most—wait.

"Uh—sorry Sir! I was just, uh, deep in thought. I will let you rest." I shut my eyes and lean into the corner of my seat and the wall pretending to rest myself. I try to push the warmth from my cheeks hoping that it wasn't noticeable. If Sephiroth noticed the dusting of pink on my cheeks he said nothing. And if he was staring at me now, I will take it as punishment for staring at him.

I am such an idiot.

The ride passed fairly quickly. I forced myself to sleep even if it only ended up being a light sleep. At Junon we didn't leave the craft or stay long. Just enough to get more fuel and head off again. Sephiroth said it would take another three hour approximately till our drop point.

"Sir, may I ask a question?" He glances towards me and nods. "When did you first come to the Shin-Ra company?"

His eyes bore into mine. "I have known no other home but that company."

"Oh," I turn away and close my eyes trying to force myself to sleep again.

"Miss. Hayes," I jolt in my seat and look around, the sky is darkening. I must have fallen asleep. "We are nearing our drop point. Please prepare for insertion."

"Yes Sir," I locate my duffle bag and make sure that it is secure across my body.

"Miss. Hayes, just to inform you, we will be jumping from the craft," I feel my heart beat start to race. "The pilot will bring us close to the ground as he can but will not land because of the trees that will be in the way. Have you gone through jumping from moving crafts and landing in your training here?"

I calm myself down. "Yes Sir. I learned that once I got here."

"Good, because we are almost there. You go first and I will follow. Remember to bend your knees."

I nod and stand facing the door and make sure everything is secure. He reaches around me and opens the door. I take a deep breath of the rushing air and look back at him for a moment. We exchange nods and I push off from the ledge letting the tree tops catch me.

* * *

><p><strong>That all for now folks! Next time: Wutai, the base, and a sword. <strong>


	8. Chapter 8: Wutai

**Hey everyone! Just a quick update here... It has been a little while. I was struggling with some writers block along the way and deciding what I wanted to do next in the story. **

**Well anyways, I should have another chapter up real soon after this one. Things will be coming into the light! **

**I don't own Square Enix, Sephiroth, Final Fantasy VII or any of it's content. **

Chapter 8: Wutai

We used the fading light of the day to hide ourselves within the forest, making close to no noise as possible. I followed Sephiroth's lead closely and watched my surroundings vigilantly. We were in enemy territory where anything could happen.

It took us a good hour of traversing through the dark to get close to the base. Soft lights shone through the trees as we approached. As soon as we could see the building, Sephiroth stopped us and put his pack on the ground. I followed his suit and we hide them under some leaves. He readjusts his standard issue sword on his back and motions his hand for me to follow.

He led us to the side of the exterior wall where we waited until the guard above had moved away. He jumps up on the tall wall with ease, something that would be impossible for me. He drops a rope down and I climb easily up; the wall was slightly sloped.

Once on top, Sephiroth coils the rope and places it on a spot near the wall, he must have found it there. We quietly vault over the other side and land in the interior of the base. Everything was quite except for the few guards that were around. We easily slunk past the tired Wutians into the actual building.

Sephiroth lead the way through the building as if he had been there before. He must have memorized the map our information gave us. We met a few guards and had a small scuffle but we took them down with ease before they made much noise.

Soon Sephiroth stopped us at a large door, presumably where the leader of the base was. We looked over to me and I nodded. I was ready, my nerves hummed ready for the excitement of the battle that would come.

The doors open slowly to a dimly lit room. It was a fairly simple room; some pillows were spread around in various spots and there was a door that led to somewhere else in the back. Sephiroth take cautious steps into the room surveying the corners. I follow at a slight distance just in case we had to start a battle.

Sephiroth stops mid step and raises his hand. The torches flare to life around the room and a sitting figure is illuminated, his back towards us.

"I knew there were some rats scurrying around. Who knew it would be the one with silver hair…" His accent is fairly good considering his first language was different. He pushes himself off of his knees and grabs the hilt of a very long sword in the process.

When he finally turns, sword extended in his right hand, the room seems incredibly shorter than I first thought. The tip of the blade was still quite a ways away, but the sheer length of it was very imposing.

"Do you like my sword? Its name is Masamune. I had it specially commissioned for me and I have to say that I am the master at using it."

Sephiroth readjusts his standard issue sword in his left hand. "If you are that confident, then stop talking and come fight." The large man in front of us just smirks.

"Kaja, stay back. I don't want you to get in the way." His eyes that meet mine are piercing and I nod taking a step back.

Time stood still for a moment as the two men stared at each other. Their muscles shift and both of them lunge forward in a burst of speed. Their blades lock and I notice a small crack form in Sephiroth's sword. If it got hit again, then it would most likely break.

I grip my sword tightly. Sephiroth told me to stay back and that was an order. But if things got hairy between the two, I would rather die trying to save Sephiroth. He is an important person to the company. Maybe even an important person to me.

As soon as the two regained their footings they launched forward again. I let my body coil and wait for the moment their swords meet and Sephiroth's blade shatters. As soon as I began to move though I was pulled the opposite way. I bring my elbow back to my attacker and meet nothing. Turning on my toes I see a fully garbed Wutian warrior several feet away from me.

Without any hesitation I charge at him, my blade pointed directly at him. He easily blocks my attack and pushes me to the side. I regain my footing just in time to redirect his weapon away from my side. I see him move and the next thing I know his weight is on the end of my blade, his face full of shock.

His body crumples to the floor in a heap. Some sort of sick joy spreads through my body. I had killed a man, and the worst part was that I felt no remorse over it. That scared me to no end.

I snap out of my stupor and pick up the fallen Wutian's spear. "Sir," Sephiroth looks over again and I hold out the spear. He nods and I toss it over. Sephiroth twists out of the hold and deftly catches the spear in swift movement. Taking a stance he lunges forward and catches the man off guard.

The man's glare was very clear even with his smile. "Little strokes fell great oaks," his voice was thick with blood.

"You are finished, there is nothing left that you can do." Sephiroth's voice sends a chill down my spine.

The man laughs again and looks Sephiroth directly in the eye. "Your pride will be your downfall, Sephiroth." The man's eyes meet mine and a vile smile spreads farther across his face.

My hand flies to the back of my neck suddenly, a sharp pain digging in. I rip a dart out of my skin. "Sephiroth," said person turns around and immediately tunes into the item in my hand. Without warning the world spins and everything turns dark.

Shoot.

I had to have been just stupid enough to let my guard down in enemy territory. The scene kept replaying in my head over and over again since I was not waking up. Maybe if I had just a little more careful things would have ended up different. Perhaps I'm not ready to be a 2nd class SOLDIER. When I wake up, I would have to talk to Lazard because I don't think it is appropriate to be in such a level and make such stupid mistakes. I did move through 3rd class at an unusual rate.

And that guy… I can't stop thinking about what I did. I still can't really believe that I just killed a person. His face full of shock… Ugh! Stop thinking about it!

Sephiroth must be pretty mad at me. First I don't address him properly and then I let the whole mission slide. I wouldn't be surprised if he would request to never pair him with me in a mission ever again. That or tell Lazard to demote me. Or maybe fire me.

The image I kept seeing suddenly changed. The light hurt my eyes, maybe I was waking up? I saw some nameless faces of people dressed in white, but as soon as the images had come, they were gone once again.

My mind wandered to how I had gotten myself into this mess to start with. Why did I want to join SOLDIER? What force inside my head drove me to keep fighting? I didn't know. I remember waking up that time in the hospital wing of Shin-Ra feeling weak, but before that I couldn't remember. If I thought hard enough, it felt as though the memories where there but just out of reach taunting me with their knowledge.

I really wish I knew though, I really did. I felt a little lost, and it was disorienting not really knowing who I was.

A bright light slowly burns into my vision forcing me awake. I hear hushed voices, speaking lines of what sounded like nonsense to me. Did that poison affect me that much? I listen carefully and come to another conclusion; they are speaking a language that is somewhat familiar to me. A shadow steps over me.

Their face is foreign to me, definitely of Wutian decent. He is examining me, maybe to figure me out? "Your body, is odd." He tells me through an accent. I tilt my head slightly. He shakes his head. "I mean that the process of you becoming a SOLDIER makes your body odd. It is like your genetic makeup was twisted somehow."

My eyebrows knit together. "Who are you?" I ask quietly.

"My name is Fuhito. I am a scientist for Wutai."

I jerk and try to spring from the bed but restraints held me down. "Wutai!?" Shoot, not only was a poisoned, but I let myself be captured. I needed to get out and back to Sephiroth. He will definitely not be please of my situation at all though.

I look at my restraints over my body and find them to be leather. Not an easy material to break free from, but easier than metal. Maybe I could break free, no—I had to break free. Sephiroth was waiting for me.

I glare at all of the men glaring at me and brace myself, using muscles I didn't know I had and pushed myself upwards, stretching the leather. I let out a grunt and the straps snap away.

I take a few breaths, and survey the Wutian men around me. They all had moved back. So they didn't think I could have broken out. I slide off the metal table and regain balance on the ground. I was thankful that I still had my uniform on, and to my surprise, my phone still in its secure inner pocket. I would have thought that they would have taken that.

"I'm leaving," I tell them definitively. They look at each other but don't move out of the way. I sigh. "Please move aside." They still didn't move. "Very well, we do this the hard way."

I launch myself at them using the hand to hand skills I had learned on them. I didn't really want to kill them, just make them unable to follow me. I left them knocked out on the floor of the examination room except for one. I pull him up by the collar.

"You are going to take me to the exit," he claws at my hands with fear. "Now." I let go and grab a scalpel off of a table and press it to his back. "Exit, now." I repeat, hoping he would understand. He puts up his hands but I do not lower the small blade, I would not be taking any more chances.

The man leads me through the corridors to thankfully the exit without running into too many people. Those people were left unconscious on the floor so they could not alert whoever was in charge here. I knock the man unconscious with the blunt end of the knife and start running through the forest.

I take my phone out of my pocket while I run and thankfully there is a weak signal. Maybe I could get a message out to Sephiroth if not a phone call.

I decided to try calling him first. I take a deep breath before pressing send.

To my surprise I got through, I stopped running immediately. "This is Sephiroth."

"Sir! I'm so sorry!"

"Miss Hayes? Where are you?"

"I don't know, Sir." I look around. "I am in some sort of forest. I was in some sort of compound but I just escaped."

"Alright, stay there I am going to track your phone so hold on."

"Sir, no offense, but I am still fairly close to the compound and I would like to get further away. I don't fancy going back to being strapped to a table. I would prefer to keep moving."

I hear him sigh. "Very well. Keep moving. If we encounter any problems we will call to ask you to keep still."

"Thank you, Sir. I will see you soon." I hear the line end and I put my phone back in its location inside my uniform and start running again. The forest was quiet, which was good. I couldn't hear any pursuers which was another plus.

Before long I heard the whirring of a helicopter off in the distance. I slowed to a walk and caught my breath thankful that Sephiroth was on his way. The shadow of a helicopter covered me and I look up through the tree tops. A ladder was dropped and low and behold, there was Sephiroth coming down the rope.

"Sir!" I give him a salute.

"Relax," he orders me. "Come on and get in!" I followed him up the ladder, so thankful that he found me with ease.

I take a seat opposite of him once he closes up the door and start back home. I take a deep sigh of relief.

"Looks like we both lost a blade this mission," his voice stirs my attention. It is his turn to take a deep breath. "Miss. Hayes—"

"Sir," I stop him short. "I am so sorry. The mistake I made was inexcusable. I will accept all of my punishments."

"Miss. Hayes. I appreciate the sentiments, but it is not up to me what happens to you. Procedures dictate that you will be monitored and also put on hold from major missions. Aside from that, it is up to the Director."

"I am sorry," tell him, looking into the palms of my hands.

"Everyone makes mistakes, Miss. Hayes. Just be sure to learn from them." I look up at him. He said something very insightful. Completely unlike the cold, murderous person who would one day try to kill everyo—. Wait. What?

Immediately my head bursts into a white hot throbbing pain, making every bit of my consciousness disappear.

**Ah, things are getting to the exciting part! **

**I thank you all in advance for reading/reviewing. Next up: Memories Return **


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